Banana-crate.



L. D. FOWLER.

BANANA CRATE.

urmouron rum) NOV. 10, 1905,

920,31 1 Patented May 4, 1909.

l a/ ,2 C i flveiztor:

c Lewis D. f'owl er:

} Jimmy UNlTlZlli lll$lflt EPAETENT Old llilllfiliilo LEWIS D, FOWLER,OF OKLAHOMA, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOR O1" ONE-HALF TO A. 1). MARBLE,

OF OKLAHOMA, OhLAllIOMA.

BANANA-CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May l, 1909.

consists of a series of spring wire rils or hoops'secured tolongitudinal wires by means of clamps at their intersections, forming arectangular open-worh body which forms a cylinder when its eontaelingedges are united; it is provided with a loosely attached lining havingits vertical edges adapted to ho united and separahal aL will.

v The objects of my invention are; first, to provide a durable erate forcontaining and transporting. individual hunches of hananas; second, onewhich will fully protect the fruit; third, one which will oeeu py aniininnnn space when not in use and being stored by heing .0 enod outand laid one upon the other upon t is floor. l attain these ohjeets o;the mechanism illustrated in the aecoinpan ing drawings forming a partof this speeilicalion, in Which- Figure 1 is aview in elevation of oneof my crates prepared for transportation; .iig. 2 is a View of the cratein position for storage being opened out and its inner portion placedupon the floor; i ig. 3 is a plan view ol the crateas in use; hi is apcrsper-live view ol' one style of the clamps used in securing-the ribsand the upright wires together; 5 is a perspective View of the slottedor ialching clamps through which the eyes of the lair-hing edge pass;Fig. G is a view of the wire latching staple which lair-hes the Male andthe lining simultaneously securing th m in position during, activeservice. llfj. 2' is a perspective view ol' the male train. iiy 81s aside "Hm ol portion oi. the hayl l is a View ol a l'ragiucnl of theframe showing the binding pier-c. Similar eharaotersirefer to similarparts in the several views.

Referring to the rhimin A is the airs ol' rd-rill '1 hody composed oi lo or long retinal i lil v secured l clamps to trpairs of sprii'ig' wiresc at their inigeixcomas the \Ql'iliil wires (1 have each of their endshenl around the outer lllvillllll of lhe outside or external pair of lransverse spring wires (1. To provide means for latching: the crate hod vinto a ovlindriml form the transverse wires or ril s c have their loopends give a quarter-turn hringing the two ineinhers in contact, formingan eye I) which is also bent at nearly a righl angle sill-- fieient toextend well through the. opening or slot (1 in the clamps (1/, whichstyle 01 clamps is used to secure in place the second pair of verticalwires c" from lho lelt or free end of the crate body; the transversewires or rihs have their ends opposite the said eyes hunt around theleft, or external vertical wire-a to add to the strength and appearance,of the crate irody.

The clamp a consisls of a hod of sheet metal and. has four oppositelyextending members 1, 1 adapted to he press d around and grip thevertical pairs of wires c and 2, 2 the pairs of transverse wires or ilrsc at their interseclions, excepl where otherwise provided. The slottedelanip n has a hodv porlion provided with :1. slot a therein and four o)posilely extending inenihers f and he loriner hendinp; around thevertical wires 1" and the lallr-r sending in an opposite directionaround the rihs c securing them rigidly in place The crate lining l) isloosely atlauhed to the wires thereof and has its meeting edges providedwilh lacing rings 0 through which the shorl nionihcr (1" of lhe latchingor looking ska ile passes as llie long member (1 passes through the eyes1;; the said locking staple (1)) heing a still wire bent U shamed,having ils extended members parall and one shorter than the other.

3f hon lhe (rate A is lorni d into a cylinder as in use the male-liningheroines a. hanana sael; centrally suspended w il hin ilucrate an inchor more therefrom lo prevent ronlacl; with the crale when lillnd with lmit, a cord lfhilifl lied around the lower eod ol' the sack (l5) hol'orethe l'ruil is placed therein and the upper end alter the l'ruilv isplaced therein.

in operation, lake the. crate from its place iornnr; staple d and extendthe long nioinher d through the eyes h and the short member d throughthe lacing; rings'a: tie the untie the sack B, remove thelocl-zing-staple ively small space.

llaving thus described my invention what i tudinal wires or rods: chavin secured therei '5 lower end of the sack B; place the bunch ofbananas in the sack and tie the top with a cord and the crate is readyfor transportation, either on end or lying down. When it is desired toprepare the crate for storage,

d the eyes I) from the slots (1 and unroll the crate to the form shownin Fig; 2 oras nearly that torm as the tension of the ribs 0 will force5 it, in which position they can be plaeed one i upon anothe' and thusoceup a comparal l: claim as new andusetui and desire to secure y byLetters Patent, is r I. As an article of manufacture; a banana J cratetomposed ot a series ot pairs olj longito a series of pairs oftransi'erse ribs c each ol i said ribs having a bow portion formed intoan eye'/) projecting slightly beyond the borl der ot the gate-liketramcnorl; and bent inl wardly tor latching purposes; clamps u havl ingslots 0 therein securin said pairs ol loni gitudinal wires or rods tosaid pairs of ribs and thesaid slots bcingadapttal to receive the I saideyes when the said framework is rolled into a c \'lindric al form duringactive service; a crate lining B loosely attached to and suspended t'romsaid framework and having its meeting edges proyided with lacing ringsc, a latchingstaple d having one ol its members shorter and passingthrough the said lacing rings to form a sac; the longer member beingpassed through the said eyes to latch the lramework into a cylilnlricalform, the tree r end of said framework passing inside and beyond thepoint of engagement of said eyes and slots to maintain a cylindricalform, as described. 7

I3. in a banana crate composed of a wire framework and adapted to belatched into a c lindrical form; a crate lining being loosely attachedto and suspended from said framework and having its meeting edgesprovided with lacing rings; a tie or lacing rod passin through saidringsl'ormingg a protecting sac for the fruit.

53. in a banana crate composed of a series of pairs of longitudinalwires and a series of ppirs ot' transverse w res; the clamps (i having-abody port ion with a slot (1 therein and oppositely extending membe-rsffbending in one direction and oppositely lextendingmembers g g bending inthe opposite direction 1 from the .-rt'orcsaid members to seeureat theirintersections the penultimate panof longitudinal wires to the pairs oftransverse wires; the eyes I lormed upon the staple ends 0t said pairsot transverse wires and adapted to be inserted into said slots when saidframework is rolled into a cylindrical torm; a latcht ing rod passingthrough said eyes to retain the same within said slot-s during activeservice, substantially as described.

in testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEWIS D. FOWLER Witnesses:

FRED S. Commas, Geo. II. BRAUER.

